Nailing machine



. May 7, 1929. Q P. GAVIN NAILING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 6, 1927 M8477, 1929- P.- GAVIN 1,711,935

. NAILING MACHINE I Filed Dec. 6, 192? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 g it; Q INVENTQR.

Fa /flak yaw/ BY; 2. ATT NEYS.

Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES.

PATRICK GAVIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

NAILING Application filed December Thissinvention is a nailing machine for use more particularly in the laying of floors. Nailing machines have heretofore-been used, some of which have been operatedby power and others of which are manually operative. The present invention relates to machines of the manually operated type.

Prior nailing machines of this character may be divided generally into two types, namely, those wherein a plunger is operated by a mallet or hammer, so that the mallet or hammer held in the hand of the operator acts through a plunger "to drive the nail after the manner of operating the nail set.

' The other type of hand operated nailing machines generally embodies a relatively short plunger provided at its upper end with a knob or handle,,whereby the plungermay be manually reciprocated to strike the nail a succession of sharp blows. In machines of the last mentioned type, the plungers operate within a tube or guide which is relatively short, and the workman in operating these devices generally kneels, or movesalong the floor on his knees, manuallyreciprocating the plunger a plurality of times for the driving of each nail. Moreover, these devices generally are only used-for the driving of relatively light or finishing nails and are of no utility whatever for driving the heavier headed nails. i v The object of the present invention is to provide a construction'which overcomes the mechanical defects and disadvantages in numerous prior devices of which I am aware, and which also enables the nail to be driven in one blow without the use. of a hammer or mallet and by an operator in a standing posture. In operating the machine of the present invention, theoperator may walk about in upstanding position directing the machine before him and manipulating the plungerto drive the nails in one stroke. The 'machine this invention will drive large floor nails, as well smaller finishing nails and may be used in the building art. generally where a powerful and efficient nailing machine is needed. g

in its preferred practical form, the machine of this invention embodies an upstand ing tube supported in upright position on casters to enable it to be readily moved about and mounted for vertical reciprocation in this tube is a plunger'of considerable weight, his plunger is tall enough to be MACHINE.

6, i927. Serial Nb. 238,072.

readily grasped and operated by a man in standing posture, and, in practice, may conveniently be made about six feet in length. The tube need not, be this long provided that above the tube andv supported thereon is a suitable guide for the plunger. The lower end of the plunger carries a driving pin which is demountably mounted on the plunger, so'that it can be removed andsreplaced in the event that it becomes worn or burred and to provide for-driving pins of different sizes for nails of widely varying weight and style. The lower end of the tube is provided. with a guide block mounted r'emovably therein and capable of replacement. tonfit nails of differ ent kinds or sizes; Nails are adapted to be automatically fed to the guide block from a magazine supported on the tube and guide to which I have refer-red, and the nails are positioned in this magazine to be fed one at a time through a reciprocating valve or gate from whence they fall by gravityv into posi tion within the guide block. The magazine.

may be made in sections to facilitate positioning of thenails therein and is, preferably demo un'tably positioned'on the tube so that filling of the magazine may be more easily accomplished. 1

An important featureof the invention resides .in the employmentof a guide having associated therewith means to engage with the foot ofthe workman, whereby the machine may be moved by the workmans foot and accurately guided thereby as the machine is moved along a floor.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detaileddescription and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying -,drawings. I v

he accompanying drawings illustrate different practical embodiments of the inven- 'tion, but the constructions therein shown,

are to be understood as illustrati e, only, and not as defining the limits tion. .Figure 1 shows a machine embodying the present invention partly in section and partly in elevation, l 1

Figure 2 is an elevation of the machine with certain parts shown in section.

Figure '3 is asection on the line 3-1-3 of Figure l. v V

Figure 4; is a section onthe line 4'-4: of Figure l;

of the inventhe line 66 of 7 is a section on the line 77 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail fragmentary plan view of guide and pointer mechanism shown in Figure 7 Figure 9 illustrates the manner in which the machine may be guided by an attachment engaging with the shoe of the operator.

Figure 10 is a section perspective View of the nailing magazine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 11 is a similar view of a modified form'of magazine.

Figure 12 is a section on the line 1212 of Figure 11.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the guide tube. This tube is thickened at its lower end to provide a strengthened seat and support for the guide block 2 which is removably seated. in the lower end of the tube and normally locked in place by a set screw 3. The guide block has a tapered mouth 4 leading to a cylindrical passage 5 in which the nails are adapted to rest in a position to be driven. A plunger 6 is mounted to reciprocate vertically in the tube and is of a length to extend well above the top of the tube. V

In the drawings, portions of this plunger are broken away, so that the plunger is foreshortened, but, in practice, a elunger of about 6 feet in length gives very satisfactory results. 'That portion of the plunger above the tube 1 is guided in a guide 7 rigidly supported by rods 8. These rods are socured by set screws 9 to collars 10 which embrace the tube 1 as shown best in Figure 2. By this arrangement, the tube may be made relatively short and the plunger relatively long and while said plunger may be properly guided for vertical reciprocation. The rods 8 also serve to support a bracket 11 mounted on the rods by set screws 12, as shown best in Figs. 2 and 3, and this bracket is provided at its outer end with an opening 18 which supports the upper end of the magazine'as will hereinafter be more fully explained. The lower portion of the tube is cut away at one side as shown at 14s to provide an opening in registration with which a diverging throat 15 is secured by means of bands or collars 16. These bands are secured in place by screws 17 which firmly bind the parts together, so as to normally mount the throat rigid with the tube.

A magazine 18 is adapted to rest upon the top of the throat member 15 as clearly shown in Figure 1, while the upper end of the mag azine extends through the opening 13 in the bracket'll which serves to steady and support such upper end. The magazine is provided near its lower end with perforations 19 (see Fig. 6) and sprlng actuated pins 20 are adapted to enter these holes when the magazine is in the position of Fig. 1 to secure the lower end of the magazine in alinement with the inlet of the throat member15.

Cooperating with the upper portion of the throat member which is flared out laterally as shown in Fig. 6, a valve or gate. This valve or gate embodies a rectangular frame 21. This frame may be made as shown in Fig. 5 with three sides rigid and the foiiirth side 22 held in place by nuts -23. The side 22 carries a linger 24.- which extends through a hole in the wall of the throat and normally projects acr ss the passage througl'r said throat as shown in Fig. 1. The opposite side ot the frame carries a linger 25 which also projects through the wall of the throat and slightly under-laps the end; of the finger 24. The arrangement is such that when the magazine is charged with nails, they will. gravitate into the positions shown in Figures 1 and 6 wherein the lowermost nail will rest fiat upon the finger 24; which is preferably made itairly wide, so as to preclude tilting of the nail.

In order to feed nails in this manner to the valve or gate, the magazine is built as shown in Figs. 10 to 12, which illustrate two forms of construction. In both of these'constructions, the nails are all positioned in the same vertical plane and in alternately reversed position, the magazine being provided with channels at its lateral edges to receive the nail heads and being of less width between these channels, so that the shanks of the nails are housed with a fairly snug fit.

In the arrangement of Fig. 10, one side wall 26 of the magazine is removable, so that when this wall is taken off the magazine may be laid down flat and the nails dropped into place and easily positioned therein. After the magazine is filled, the wall 25 is brought into position and secured in place and the magazine can tien be placed on the machine and locked in place by the spring pins 20. To allow removal of the wall 26 this wall is provided with flanges?! which are adapted to have inter-fitting relation with flanges 28 on the other section oi the magazinc, and tongues 29 formed on the 28 extend thru slots in the flanges 2" and are perforated so that pins 30' can be passed through these flanges to hold the parts in assembled relation.

In the structure of 11 and 12., the walls of the magazine are rigid with respect v to one another and nails are tied one a time into the upper end of the magazine when it is desired to charge the magazine. It will be apparent that arrangement illustrated in Fig. 10 is much more c nvenient and that the magazine may be more quickly filled with this latter arrangement than is possible with the structure of Figs. 11 and 12/ In 'Fig. 11, nails 31 are shown in dotted lines as passed through the holes 19, to keep the nails from falling out ofthe bottom otthe magazine in the event that it is removed from the rest of the device for filling. These nails 81 are of course withdrawn after the magazine is filled and when it is positioned on the machine, so that the spring pins 20 can engage with these holes to secure the magazine in position.

A filler blank 31 may be employed in connection with theestructures of Figs. 11 and 12 if desired. This blank is dropped into the magazine before any nails are introduced and the nails are thereupon fed into the top or" the magazine alternately and end for end and serve to force the filler blank downwardly until the magazine is completely filled. The nails 31 are then removed and the filler blank 31' is removed, whereupon the magazine may be mounteo on the throat as described. The purpose of the tiller blank is to preclude the nails from tilting, whereby they are maintained with their shanks in parallel relation during the filling operation. The blanktfr" is substantially the same as a nail except that it is somewhat longer and has a head at both ends. These heads engage with the nail head channels of the magazine so that it is impossibletor the blank to tilt and consequently all the superimposed nails are precluded from tilting during the filling. operation.

The structure of Figure 10 is filled while the magazine lays hat and it is not necessary to put the nails in the holes 19 as shown in Figure 11. I

When the magazine is filled and theipar'ts assembled, the nails will gravitate into the position shown in 1 and 6 as described with the lowermost nail resting on the fin- 24. It will be noted, however, that the frame-21 is provided with a socket or hole 32 andi to this'socket projects one arm of a bell crank 33, which is pivoted at its elbow on a lug on the throat member 15, while the other arm of the bell crank is secured to a rod 4. The rod 34 projectsupwardly, is guided tl'n'ough holes in the collars 1.0, and is secured to a trigger 35 which projects in the direction of the plungerG. This triggeiis also connected by a rod 36 to a bolt moi rted to move longitudinally through the guide 7. This bolt has a head 88,-so positioned as to be engaged at the proper time by a ring 39. This ring is mounted on the lunger and is secured thereonin proper adjustment by a set screw 40. Similarly the trigger 35 is adapted to be engaged by a ring 41 held in adjustment by-a set screw 42. When the plunger is elevated, the ring 39 strikes against the head'38, elevates the bolt 37 and draws the rod. 36 upwardly. This in turn draws the rod 84 upwardly and tilts the bell crank 33 so as to move the valveinto the normal position of Figs. land 6. When {the plunger is thereafter depressed the ring 41 en a es the tri er 35 and forces the red C) C CD 34 downwardly thereby tilting the bell crank and moving the valve to the rod in Fig. 1, so that thelowermost nail is disengaged from the finger 24 and falls on to the' whereupon the nail falls through the throat and is guided thereby to the passage in the guide lock where it assumes the position showniin Figure 1. This nail is adapted to be driven upon the next downward movement of the plunger 6v and for thispurpose the plunger is provided at its lower end with a driving pin 44. This pin is preterably tapered so as to be introduced through the top of a holder 45 which isthen screwed into the lower. end of the plunger to rigidly mount the driving pin in place. When the plunger descends, the driving pin drives the nail. g V i As stated, the plunger is relatively heavy and when operated will serve to drive fairly heavy nails, in one stroke and :without any tendency .to bend the nails. Both the drivpin and guide block may be removed and diilerent sizes substituted, when it is,

desired to change the nail sizes.

.The lower end of the tube is embraced by a ring 45 secured in position by a set screw 46 andthisring carries a plurality of spring arms 47 preferably three in numb r, On the end of eachfispring arm is secured a caster 48 and these casters serve to properly support the device in upstanding position. The resilient arms 47 are sutficiently strong to normally support the lower end of the tube free from the floor, so that it can be readily moved, but when'the plunger is depressed, the weight of this plunger operating the trigger 35 and forcing the nail downwardly depresses the entire apparatus against the resiliency of the spring arms, so that the lower end of the tube engages the floor atv the instant when the nail is driven. As soon as the plunger is elevated, however, the device again lifts to allow of free movement of the assembly. In order that the nailing may be carried on along the predeterminedline, the device is preferably provided with a gage 49 extending radially therefrom shown in Figures 7 and 9.

This gage may have an adjustable pointer 50, as shown in Fig. 8. In this figure, the edgeof a board is indicated at 51 and 52 indicates a nail previously driven along one edge of the board. The pointer 50 serves to indicate the relation which the next nail driven will bear to the nail 52, so that lines of nails along the two edges of the board may be uniformly positioned. The guide as shown is provided on its outer end with an upstanding pin 53. This is provided to engage a. clamp fi l adapted to be secured to the shoe of the workman, as indicated in Fig, 9, so that by movement of the workmans foot, the machine may be guided and moved along the floor into the position de-- sired.

The machine of this invention is simple in construction and thoroughly efiicient in the carrying out on its intending purposes. It will operate upon nails of widely varying sizes, as well as both headed and finishing nails, and will drive these nails with one stroke and without imposing heavy labor upon the workman.

The accompanying drawings show the invention in its preferred practical form, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim. as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a na-ilin machine, an upright guide tube provided at its lower end with a guide block, a plunger mounted for vertical reciprocation in said tube and provided at its lower end with a driving pin, a feed passage communicating with the interior of the tube from one side thereof above the guide block, a valve cooperating with the feed passage and embodying fingers projecting into the feed passage from opposite sides thereof, and at different points in the length of the passage, means for laterally reciprocating said valve to feed nails one at a time through the pasage to the guide block, and a magazine superin'iposed upon the feed passage and adapted to contain nails in substantially horizontal parallel relation to one another, said magazine being detaehably mounted with respect to the feed passage and having a removable side wall whereby the magazine may be removed from the feed passage and laid flat with the removable wall removed to allow of easy filling of the magazine.

2. In a nailing machine, an upright guide tube provided at its lower end with a. guide block, a plunger mounted for vertical reciprocation in said tube and provided at its lower end with a driving pin, a feed passage communicating with the interior of-the tube from one side thereof above the guide block, a valve cooperating with the feed passage and embodying fingers projecting, into the feed passage from opposite sides thereof,

rigid to normally support the tubular guide and its guide block free from engagement with the floor, but being Sll'lllClGDtly resilient to permit the guide block to engage with the floor when the plunger is moved downwardly to drive a nail positioned in the guide block. 7

3. In a nailing machine, an upright guide tube provided at its lower end with a guide block, a plunger mounted for vertical reci rocat-ion in said tube and provided at its lower end with a driving pin, a feed passage communicating with the interior of the tube from one side thereof above the guide block, a valve cooperating with the feed passage and embodying fingers projecting into the feed passage from opposite sides thereof, and at different points in the length of the p sage, means for laterally reciprocating said valve to feed nails one at a time through the passage to the guide block, a magazine superimposed upon the feed passage to supply nails to the valve, means in the feed passage to engage with the heads of the nails as they are fed from the valve to tilt the nails and cause them to fall with their points down, and enter the guide block in.

upstanding position with the heads up, and

means on the guide tube adapted for co operatlon with means carried by the shoe of the workman whereby the machine may be propelled along the supporting surface by the foot of the workman.

4. In a nailing machine, an upright guide tube provided at its lower end with a guide block, a plunger mounted for vertical reciprocation. in said tube and provided at its lower end with a driving pin, a feed passage communicating with the interior of the tube from one side thereof above the guide block, a valve cooperating with the feed passage and embodying fingers projecting into the feed passage from opposite sides thereof, and at different points in the length of the passage, means for laterally reciprocatingsaid valve to feed nails one at a time through the passage to the guide block, a magazine superimposed upon the feed passage to supply nails to the valve, and spring arms for supporting the tubular guide in upstanding position, said arms being sufficiently rigid to normally support the tubular guide and its guide block free from engagement with the floor, but being sufiiciently resilient to permit the guide block to engage with the floor when the plunger is moved downwardly to drive a nail positioned in the guide block,

and casters carried by the spring arms to permit them to readily traverse the surface on which they are supported.

5. In a nailing machine, an upright guide tube provided at its lower end with a guide block, a plunger mounted for vertical re ciprocation in said tube and provided at its lower end with a driving pin, a teed passage co-nnnunicating with the interior of the tube vfrom one side thereof above the guide block, a valve cooperating with the feed passage and embodying fingers projecting into the feed passage from opposite sides thereof and at different points in the length on: the

F passage, means for laterally reciprocating said valve to feed nails one at a time through the passage to the guide block, a magazine superimposed upon the feed passage to supply nails to the valve, spring arms for supporting the tubular guide in upstanding position said arms being suflic iently rigid to normally support the tubular guide and its guide blockfree from engagement with the floor, but being sufliciently resilient to permit the guide block to engage with the fioor when the plunger moved down wardly todrive a nail positioned in the guide block, casters carried by the spring arms to permit them to readily traverse the sur ciprocation in said tube and provided at its lower end with a driving pin, a feed passage communicating with the interior of the tube from one side thereof above the guide block, a nail valve cooperating with the feed passage, means for operating said valve to feed nails one at a time through the passage to the guideblock, and a magazine superimposed upon the feed passage to supply nails to the valve, and resilient means for normally supporting the tubular gulde and lts guide block free from engagement wlth the floor,' said resilient means being sufiiciently V yielding to permit the guide block to engage with the floor when the plunger is forced downwardly to drive a nail positioned in the guide block.

In testimony whereof have signed the foregoing specification.

PATRICK GAVIN. 

